Reaping-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. D. MARBLE. REAPING MAGHINE.

110.477.189. Patented June 14, 1892.

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. D. MARBLE.

RBAPING MACHINE.

No. 477,189. Patented June 14, 1892.

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NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ALBERT D. MARBLE, OF VINFIELD, KANSAS.

REAPING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,189, dated June 14, 1892.

Application filed January 28, 1891. Serial No.,379,426. (No model.) Y n e To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. MARBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winfield, in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Mowing and Reaping Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harvesters, more especially of that class known as reapers 5 and the object of the same is to effect certain improvements in machines of this character.

To this end the invention consists of the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein-- Figure l is a plan view of the machine partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a left side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the knife-frame, partly in section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the cutting apparatus. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of one of the knives and one connecting-link. Fig. G is a detail showing one of the driving sprocket-wheels and a section of the knifechain passing around the same. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail of the box with its two halves separated.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter F designates a frame supported upon a main axle A, to which are keyed driving-wheels lV, said axle being in two parts or members, to one of which is bolted a split box X, and the other of which has a groove A', turning in engagement with a rib A2 in said box X, as is usual, to permit the independent turning forward of either wheel in rounding corners. A pole P is secured tothe frame and connected to the center of the axle, the rear end being supported by a supplemental wheel zo, which is swiveled, as at w', to a support l), and rising from the rear end of the pole is a drivers scat D, as shown. Secured to the pole just in front of the seat is the usual whiffletree XV', carrying singletrees at its ends, to which the horses are attached, and it will be understood that these horses travel at each side of the pole and in rear of the frame F, the Wheels and the cutting apparatus hereinafter described moving forward of the horses. Each wheel carries a large bevel-gcar G on its outer face, with which meshes a small bevel-gear g on the end of main driving-shafts M. On the outer ends of the axle A are mounted hubs H, from which extend forwardly tubular boxes B, in which the upper rear ends of said driving shafts M are loosely journaled, and the front lower ends of these shafts are squared, as at m, where they enter the rearmost members of universal joints U. By this means when one of said shafts M is moved forwardly its gear g disengages the gear G audits rotation ceases, and the squared end m of the shaft, sliding in a similarlyshaped hole in the rear member of the universal joint U, permits this longitudinal movement. The means for effecting such movement will now be described.

K is a bracket mounted on the pole P just in front of the seat D and having a pin k, and L is a lever having a slotZ in its body engaging said pin, the lower end of the lever engaging a socket P in the pole when the lever stands upright, as shown in Fig. 2. R is a pitmanrod connected with this lever, and the forward end of this rod is connected with a shifter-bar S, which is centrally pivoted on a support Q, extending across the machine forward of the wheels lV. The ends of the shifter-bar are slotted, as at s, and these slots engage pins o at the inner ends of operatinglevers O. The latter are pivoted, also, to the support Q, and their outer ends are hifurcated and loosely embrace the shafts M between fixed collars M thereon. Hence when the lever L is thrown to the rear, as shown in Fig. l, the right-hand lever O is so moved as to engage the right-hand gears Gand g and disengage those at the left of the machine, and it will be understood that when the lever L is thrown forwardly the opposite will be the result and the left-hand shaft M will be turned and in the Opposite direction; but when the lever L is upright, as shown in Fig. 2,with its lower end seated in the socket P for security and to prevent dislocation, both shafts M will be at rest. It will therefore be seen that the driver can throw the machine out of operation or cause the shafts to operate in opposite directions at will.

The cutting apparatus hereinafter described is supported on a frame C, which has depending ears c pivotally connected to the ends of the support Q, and the rear ends of the side bars of the frame are turned up, as at C', and have a number of holes, any one of which may be detaehably connected by pins or bolts with rearward extensions H of the hubs H. In this manner the angle of the cutting apparatus to the ground can be adjusted, as desired, by raising or lowering the rear ends of the frame-bars Gand turning them over their pivotal supports.

Converging arms I are connected at their front ends to the support Q, are mounted in boxes J on the axle A, and extend rearwardly to points beneath the drivers feet, where they are provided with pedals 1,'. N'are standards rising from the pole P, beneath which the arms I can be engaged, as seen. By this means, when an obstruction is reached the driver applies his foot to one of the pedals 1l and presses on the same. The resultis that the lever I, acting over J as a fulerum, raises the support Q at that end thereof and that end of the cutting apparatus is lifted from,

and by engaging the levers I under the stand` ards N the cutting apparatus can be maintained in elevated position.

The letter V designates the finger-bar, and Y is a knife-frame rising from said finger-bar, as seen in Fig. 3. These parts are of the following construction: The linger-bar is a rectangular tube, Fig. 4, from whose front side project the fingers e, and from the ends of this tube rise other tubes gj, into which the vertical members of the frame Y telescope, as seen 'in Fig. 3, clips Y holding the parts adjusted. The frame thus made is supported in approximately vertical position from the front ends of the side bars C of the supporting-frame, hereinbefore mentioned, and diagonal braces C2 connect the parts to keep them in place. The front side of the frame Y is provided with a slot y for a purpose to appear later on.

Vithin the frame above mentioned and within the tubular frame of the cutting apparatus moves an endless chain of knives, and wheels y2 at the upper corners of the frame and driving-wheels 'm2 at the lower corners thereof carry this chain, the wheels m2 being connected to the front members of the universal joints, as will be clear. By the adjustment of the telescoping members of the frame this chain is kept taut and all wear is taken up. Each knife of the chain is constructed as best seen in Fig. 5. The blade b4 is bolted to a rectangular frame F5, whose side bars f5 are rounded. The rear bar of this frame is bent rearwardly at its ends e and bifurcated, and in the bifurcations are journaled rollers 0^, which bear against the back of the fingerbar V and the frame Y.

Z are links, each of which comprises two hook-shaped members 5, connected by an interposed web z', the hooks being of proper size to embrace the rounded side bars f5 of the frames F5.

Referring now to Fig. (3, the endless chain of knives and links is passed around the four wheels in the frame Y and at the ends of the finger-bar Y, the open side of the hooks z being outermost, and the tension of the chain will prevent the dislocation of its members. The horses being started and the wheels WV moving forward, lnotion is imparted to the gears G. The driver throwing one of the gears g into mesh with its gear G, as shown at the right-hand side of the machine illustrated in Fig. l, motion is communicated to the main shaft M, to its sprocket-wheel 'm2, and thence to the endless chain of knives and links. The latter pass transversely across the linger-bar V, up one side of the frame Y, across the top, and down the other side thereof, the tips of the knives passing through the fingers fu in the finger-bar and projecting through the slot y in the frame Y. To change the direction of motion of this endless chain, the lever L is moved in the manner above described. Vhen it is desired to stop the motion of the knives entirely, the lever L is raised to a vertical position, as seen in Fig. 2. These movements of the lever are of course made when the pin 7c is not in the upper end of the slot-Z, as seen in this figure, because in the position shown the lower end of the lever is seated in the socket P and the lever cannot be moved. The angle of the knives to the ground is adjusted by changing the connection of the turned-u p rear ends C of the side bars C with the hub extensions H, and either or both ends of the support Q, and hence of the entire cutting apparatus, can be elevated at will by the operator simply by depressing the pedals and engaging the levers I under the standards N.

This machine is very simple in construction, and the driver occupies an elevated position, where he cannot only view the field and guide the horses, but where he is in a position accessible to all the levers and far remote from the dangerousknives. Should he fall from his seat through accident, injury, or sunstroke, casualties so prevalent on the harvesting-fields, he is not only out of danger from the machine itself,but he is not liable to be trampled upon nor kicked by the horses. Thelatter travel in rear of the standing grain, and hence the grain is nottrampled down or matted by the feet of the horses so that the cutting is done with di'fculty.

My machine is intended also for the cutting of grass, for which it is equally Well.

adapted. The various other advantages arising from the details of construction will be apparent upon a practical use of the machine and need not be elaborated upon here. I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement of parts shown and described, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In a reaping-machine,the combination, with the main axle supported by the drivingwheels, gears on the outer faces of the latter, hubs on the outer ends of the axle, and tubular bearings extending forwardly from said hubs,l of a support sustained by the axle, side bars connected therewith and at their rear IOO lIO

ends with said hubs, a cutting apparatus carried by the front ends of said side bars, universal joints connected to said apparatus and having squared sockets in their rear members, main shafts having squared front ends engaging said sockets, their rear ends sliding loosely in said tubular bearings, small gears on said shafts adapted to engage those on the driving-wheels, and means, substantially as described, for moving said shafts longitudinally, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with the main axle supported by the drivingwheels, gears on the outer faces of the latter, hubs on the outer ends of the axle, and tubular bearings extending forwardly from said hubs, of a support sustained by the axle, means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering said support, side bars connected to said support and at their rear ends to said hubs, a cutting apparatus carried by the front ends of said side bars, universal joints connected to said cutting apparatus and having squared sockets in their rear members, main shafts having squared ends engaging said sockets, their rear ends sliding loosely in `said boxes, small gears on said shaft adapted to engage those on the driving-wheels, collars on said shafts, levers centrally pivoted on the support and having bifurcated outer ends engaging between the collars on the shafts, pins at their inner ends, a centrallypivoted shifter-bar also mounted on said support and having slots loosely engaging said pins, and means, substantially as described, for moving said shifter-bar, as and for thc purpose set forth.

In a reaping-machine, the combination, with the main axle supported by the drivingwheels, gears on the outer faces of the latter, hubs at the ends of the axle having rearward extensions, and tubular bearings on said hubs, of a support sustained by the axle, a cutting apparatus carried by said support, main shafts connected with said cutting apparatus and having their rear ends journaled in said tubular bearings, gears on said shafts engaging those on the driving-wheels, side bars connected at their front ends to the cutting apparatus and pivoted at their centers to said support, the rear ends of said side bars being turned up and provided with several holes, and bolts whereby they are adjustably connected with said rearward extensions, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with a tongue having a socket, and abracket mounted on said tongue and having a pin over the socket, of alever having a slot loosely mounted on said pin, and shifting devices, substantially as described, connected by a pitman-rod with said lever, as and for the Durpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a support, side bars at the ends thereof, longitiulinally-moving shafts above said side bars, gears thereon adapted to engage driving-gears, and a pair of collars on each shaft, of a shifter bar centrally pivoted to said support and having slots near its ends, and operating-levers pivoted to said support outside said bar, one end of each lever having a pin engaging the slot in said bar and the outer end being bifurcated and loosely seated between said pair of collars, as and for the purpose set forth.

(i. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with a supporting frame-work having driving-wheels, a support carried thereby, main shafts adapted to be alternately driven from said driving-wheels, and universal joints in said main shafts, of a rectengular frame carried by said support and having wheels at its corners, said frame being approximately tubular in cross-section and said universal joints being connected with two of said wheels, and an endless chain of knives and links passing over the wheels in said frame, substantially as described.

7. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with a tubular finger-bar having slotted iingers, a rectangular frame whose side bars communicate With the ends of said fingerbar, each of said side bars comprising teleseoping members and the clips surrounding them, wheels at the upper corners of said frame, wheels at the lower corners thereof, and means for driving the latter, of an endless chain of knives and links passing over said wheels, substantially as described.

8. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with a vertically-disposed rectangular frame, Wheels at the corners thereof, and means for moving them, of an endless chain moving over said wheels, said chain comprising open links whose end bars are rounded, the rearbars being extended at the ends and provided with friction-rollers, knives secured to the front bars, and connecting-links comprising two hook-shaped members connected by au interposed web, each member embracing one of said rounded ends of aknife-frame, all substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

9. In a reaping-machine, the combination, with the main axle having forwardly-projecting boxes, supporting-wheels journaled on the axle and having gears, shafts journaled and sliding in said boxes and extending forwardly, and the endless cutting appa` ratus driven in opposite direct-ions by said shafts, of gear-wheels and collars rigidly mounted on and turning with the shafts, and means for shifting the collars and shafts simultaneously and oppositely to throw one gear-wheel out of and the other into engagement with the gear on the supporting-wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. MARBLE.

Witnesses:

ALONZO B. Hicks, WILLrAM S. MOALE. 

